


Predator versus Prey

by A_halfbakedideainthemiddleofthenight



Category: Xiaolin Showdown (Cartoon)
Genre: Chack, Gen, M/M, Older Jack Spicer, Predator/Prey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:34:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22128028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_halfbakedideainthemiddleofthenight/pseuds/A_halfbakedideainthemiddleofthenight
Summary: Jack Spicer comes to visit Chase Young who decides to chase the poor guy around. :0
Comments: 3
Kudos: 35





	Predator versus Prey

Predator versus Prey

There are two types of creatures in this world, predators, and prey. 

Biologists can rant hours of explanations and details about this complicated relationship. But at the end of the day, we are just someone else’s meal. 

This is a conflict known and lived through generations of species, a race for survival between prey and predator.

Though we like to believe we are different.

There is no point in drawing lines in certain relationships when alliances become braided so tightly they might as well be one. Or at least that is what Chase Young thinks on a lazy afternoon. Chase lays on a cushion facing the soft sunlight. He wants to rest, but his senses are awakened by the smallest of sounds, and his eyes follow the slightest of movements. Then he tracks the smell of an intruder. The man has no interest in standing up to look through the long marble halls to find the trespasser, but some days nature calls us louder than others.

Chase walks slowly, each step carefully and certain. His human form barely contains the dragon the uproars within him. The air fills with the scent of his dear fanboy.

Chase reaches the entrance and almost calls his unwanted yet recurring guest, but Jack isn’t there.

A second passed. 

The predator looks at the familiar heli-pack resting on the floor next to a lion. The cat eyes his master as he quietly makes his way to the machine. Chase didn’t have a reason to be quiet, especially purposely quiet. He wasn’t hunting, or, at the very least, he shouldn’t be.

The soft pads of the machine were still warm but barely. 

Chase tilts his head and waits for any new noise, but Jack was surprisingly silent. The warlord quickly switches strategies and compares his prey’s options. There were four paths to take from the entrance. The first one was the hall Chase came through, so Jack couldn’t have taken that one. The second one requires going upstairs, which means working. Therefore there were only two real options. 

One path would take Jack to the throne room, and the other was a trap. 

The latter path is a long circular maze with a cursed perception spell, every time a person looks back, they forget if they took a turn and how long have they been in the hall. It was designed to be a trap and entertainment for Chase, but Jack took it as a challenge and learned his way in and out.

The human-looking-dragon smiles as the smallest of thrills run up his spine, and Chase hurried to find the library; the only room the little maze leads to. 

_The first rule of survival for prey is to not been seen by a predator._

Jack noticed a puma lifted her head and stared back at something. 

The immortal warriors never looked back. Experience taught them to avoid the perception spell by only looking forward. The mistake was rare, and Jack almost follows her eyes, but he stops just in time. He couldn't see or hear, but he trusted her intuition more than his own; Jack became aware that he was being followed. The albino runs.

Jack makes it inside the library and hides between two tall bookshelves, he backs all the way to the wall and eases his breathing. 

The genius lives in a constant state of alertness and fear. He knows all too well what it’s to be hunted.

Jack has been at the bottom of the food chain of the Heylin-Xiaolin conflict for so long, he learned to keep his eyes open at all times even when he believes to be safe. Years and years of grilling work have earned him the position of merchandiser and weapons dealer. But he hasn’t forgotten his place. 

While there isn’t a safer place than Chase’s territory since no one would dare to attack here. Caution wasn't optional in Jack's life anymore.

The young man activates the little spy-bots in his rings. The little spider-like robots pop from their ring holder and rapidly dispersed around the ceiling. The cameras delivered a live feed to Jack’s cellphone-watch. He sees the cold fireplace. The genius switches the cameras until he can observe the entrance, at the exact moment he sees Chase walked in so calmly he was almost unnoticed.

Relief rushed through Jack as he chuckles at his overactive imagination. 

It was just Chase. 

Jack kneels to turn off his new invention, complete noise-canceling shoes. Then Jack notices, Chase is walking too slowly, he usually calm demeanor had become invisible. The man glares at his surroundings and moves toward the window; Jack’s favorite spot. 

A forked tongue tasted the air and Chase turns towards the bookshelves. 

They usually come in pairs, predator and prey. A predator learns to hunt specific prey and prey that learns to escape a specific predator.

Predators evolved into hunters; claws and fangs to tear flesh, eyes able to detect movement from over 4000 meters above ground, lethal poisons with no known cure, unbeatable speed, and more weapons than can be accounted. 

Chase is an apex predator, accustomed to being on top of any hierarchy, hunting wasn’t required to survive for him, but it still felt like a need. 

Chase Young couldn't hear Jack’s heart or his steps. But he could taste his presence. The lack of sound was most likely an invention from the genius, but Chase still found a trail. 

Chase moves closer, sure to find his prey cowered against the wall. 

_The second rule of survival for prey is not to be captured by a predator._

Jack has been in danger so many times, but that moment was different. There were no threats or warnings, only the sense of danger. 

Jack was used to being a target, but he knew that right now, he is prey.

Jack knew Chase wouldn't kill him without reason. He has to belive that after years of companionship, some might said forced, Chase wouldn’t kill him without reason. 

Yet Jack wasn’t going to bet his life on it. 

The human presses a button in his watch and a mile away, his heli-pack activates. 

The sound was so unexpected it was almost deafening. Jack hears the soft hum, but Chase heard the electricity crackling through the cables, and the metal shifted against the floor. Chase heard his prey getting away. 

Chase runs out of the library, his dragon shape more visible as the man lets his mind slipped into a more primitive mode. 

Prey evolved into escape artists. They grew a thick skin and tougher flesh. They learned to hide in plain view, they have to think faster than the predator that follows them. 

Jack activates the camera in his heli-pack and sees a green scaly snout, and a black tongue flicked near the tiny lens. The dragon has jaws like a crocodile, yet a tongue delicate and specialized like a snake. The dragon knew his prey had tricked him, and Jack knew he doesn’t have long.

The young man sprints out, he runs out of the main doors and turns the corner, he lifts his wrist to his face and sees the dragon racing up the hall. 

Jack left his essence like a trail behind him, his anxiety and adrenaline mixed. 

Chase couldn’t hear the young’s man steps, but he could taste him. 

Jack struggled to press a series of buttons, and thick wheels appeared in the sole of his boots, a last attempt to gain speed.

Alarms from his spy-bots let Jack know that Chase was hot on his trail. 

The big windows on the hallway were his best bet. Jack charges the projectile in his watch. He has a single shot. 

Chase saw him. His prey is moving faster than he thought possible.

Pride and euphoria flush his brain into a sort of new high. 

It takes a second, Jack aims his weapon and delivers his single shot to the window.

Startled Chase rushes to cover his prey main exited, but Jack kicks another window and falls through.

_The second rule of survival for prey_

Mid fall Jack grabs a flag, ripping in it on the processes, but successfully breaking his fall to avoid significant injuries. 

Immediately after his crash landing, Jack feels the immense weight of an apex predator land next to him. 

Chase reached for his prize, instinctively he widens his jaws as he prepares to attack. 

_The third rule of survival for prey is not to be killed by a predator._

Jack picks a glass shard, he closes his eyes tightly and stabs the air in front of him.

“Oh? Fight till the very end. I can respect that.” Chase says from the on top of Jack watching Jack’s weapon nonchalantly.

The beast moves until his snout touches the tip of Jack’s ear. The young man squeak at the cold contact, “You are dead.” The dragon declares over his loud purring.

“Oh?” Jack could only react. His heart is beating so hard he could feel it pounding in his head. 

“I killed you,” Chase explains, looking far too smug about catching Jack Spicer of all prey. 

“Nice?” Jack felt the cold tongue poked behind his ear, and he twisted his body away. 

Jack testily stands from the floor as Chase observes the other’s shaky movement without moving himself. 

“You are weird.” Jack finally says after squeezing out of his spot. Chase laughed at the comment and proceeded to show his many rows of fangs; Jack looked uneasy to the floor as his brain tried to explain his situation. 

The dragon chuckles and gives Jack one last scare by licking his cheek before retaking his human shape. 

“If we weren't in such good terms,” the beautiful man teased the tall albino. “You would be death.” 

Jack tilts his head in curiosity and tries to hide his fear. He isn't very good at it. 

“I'm happy that after years of praise, I am Finally in the ‘not kill’ list.” The young man walks closer, too close for safety, a deep instinct warns.

Prey lives in constant danger, and they must always be ready to protect their lives if caught. 

Jack has been caught in so many ways by Chase, but he has to leave himself room to run if needed. Unlike now, he leans too close within arm's reach.

Jack didn't like to consider himself prey but he knew to be careful of predators.

“Is your new invention broken?” Chase asks as he places a hand on Jack's back, he guides the young man upstairs.

“...hopefully not beyond repair. Getting the frequencies just right was the most frustrating thing in my life. That's isn't even an exaggeration.” Jack lets himself be guided through a new, unfamiliar pathway. Glass shard still in hand.

“It is interesting.” Chase was already thinking of ways to use the gadget to his advantage.

The room was smaller than any other Jack has seen so far. However, there were more paintings and art than most of the rooms, the furniture though beautiful it looked wore; tiny scratches in the table covered the repainted surface, there was a half-moon stain from a hot cup, and Chase naturally sat in the larger chair. Jack felt nervous and thrilled to be in a more private room with Chase, he sat in the only chair left and started to study their surroundings. 

“I thought so too. I mean it was almost simple in theory to create multiple simultaneous inverse sound waves to destroy any sound I guess, but I really wanted to look at the mechanics of a machine like that.” Jack stares at the deep greens the walls and the golden flower arrangements -they were such delicate sculptures. 

“Mm? So you created such artifact without an objective.” Chase sighs disappointment dripping from his voice. 

“What? I, no. I did have a- an objective; to see if I could do it.” Jack turns to confront Chase, but the man doesn’t seem to care for his excuses. 

“Even if you didn’t think of a use before putting resources, time and effort into this project,” Chase poked with his gloved hand the dark circles under Jack’s eye. The young man frowns and remembers that he hasn’t clean his face or his makeup since he started to work the details of the machine, since last week. “It will be useful.”

Jack blinked a few times, he always appreciates any physical contact, even when Chase was nagging again. Still, a deep gut feeling kept his legs shaking up-and-down, his back extended, and his mind ready to fight -maybe it was leftover adrenaline from their little run. 

“Like for spying?” Jack tries to think, now that he finished his project, he feels his brain shutting off. 

“Yes.” Chase answers and looks at his guest rudely space off. “You don’t learn from experience. Do you, Spicer?” 

Mistakes are made, even the most astute of all preys finds themselves cornered, they have seconds to figure if they will survive their encounter.

Jack was almost 24, and he knew better than to trust his not-quite-ally-not-really-enemy Chase Young, but he still felt safe enough to let his guard down and close his eyes.

“You are rude.” Chase scoffs. 

“You chased me around without a reason or explanation, literally hunted me down, made me jump out of a window, pushed me on the floor, and said some weird things.” 

Chase couldn’t help to smile at that, and Jack felt with the liberty to lean against the cold wood and rest his eyes. He places his weapon on the table, sure that is as useless now that it was then.

“It was a fun little hunt,” Chase admits.

“I hope you have the thrill of your life,” Jack mumbles. He wanted to say something else like there will be payback or ask some more questions, but Jack falls asleep. “I let you get away with too much some times.”

“We should repeat it someday,” Chase comments to the air as he hears at Jack's breathing slow down into a passive tempo. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I posted this fic before on an old account on fanfinction.net, but I moved here so reposting time.


End file.
